Random Target Alternate Ending and Missing Scenes
by robertwnielsen
Summary: An alternate ending to the S2 episode "Random Target."


_Random Target Alternate Ending and Missing Scenes_

A/N: As the title suggests, what I _wished _would have happened at the end of the S2 episode _Random Target._ Picking up when Cait and Hawke are alone at the cabin. A one-shot.

_Disclaimer—_Don't own anything, as usual.

"Hawke?" Caitlin O'Shannessy asked as she walked towards him, at the bar of his cabin, "Listen, I didn't wanna bring this up before, but what did you end up tellin' those investigators?" She took a seat next to Hawke as he gathered his thoughts.

"I just said that, Detective Sgt. Brannen was out there with Langhorn under surveillance. She did it by the book. And, I let it go at that."

"You're a good guy, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said with a thin smile.

"Well, don't let it get around, huh?" Hawke replied, grinning.

Caitlin simply grinned back at him, but as Hawke moved to go back behind the bar, she gently took hold of his arm. "No, Hawke. I mean it. You're a _really good guy_. I mean, even though you knew Brannen was crooked, you still defended her reputation to those investigators. Why?"

"Well," Hawke said, "I figured those investigators will find out about Detective Brannen sooner or later. I mean, there's gonna be a full investigation, so I'm sure her connections to Langhorn are going to come out. It's just a matter of time, y'know."

"Yeah," Caitlin replied, sighing. "I know." _I hope Dom comes back to get me soon,_ she thought. _I'm not sure how much longer I can take bein' here, alone, with Hawke. Especially with the feelings I've been fightin' lately._

"Cait?" Hawke asked, suddenly concerned, "There's something you're not telling me. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, it's nothin', String," Caitlin replied, surprising him. _You don't really expect me to believe that, do you, Cait? _Hawke thought, especially after she called him 'String.' _She always calls me 'Hawke,' so I know something's going on_.

"Now I _know_ you've got something on your mind, Caitlin," Hawke replied. "You almost _never _call me 'String.' Now," he said, looking deep into Caitlin's eyes, "tell me, what's wrong?" _I never noticed this before,_ Hawke thought, _but her eyes are beautiful. Heck, she's beautiful. One of the most beautiful women I think I've ever known._

"It's—it's just that I'm havin' some, feelings about you, String, and I'm not real sure how to respond to them. Or, how _you're _gonna respond when I tell you about 'em," Caitlin said, feeling suddenly nervous. _It's those danged beautiful blue eyes of his,_ she thought. _Without those shades he always wears, I swear, I'm gonna get __**lost**__ in those eyes, if I'm not careful._

"Well," Hawke replied, smiling at her, "why don't you try me? Tell me about your, 'feelings,' and see how I respond. It can't be _that _bad, you know."

_Okay. You asked for it, String. But, don't say I didn't warn ya,_ Caitlin thought, worry clouding her hazel eyes. "Okay, String, you asked for it, so here it comes. And, don't say I didn't warn ya. It's just that, I, I like you, String. A whole lot. In fact," she said, lowering her eyes so she couldn't look him in the face, "I think I'm in love with you," she whispered. _Well, there it is,_ she thought, anxious. _Now, let's see what he thinks._

_Oh, boy. I was afraid of that,_ Hawke thought, suddenly nervous himself. "Cait," he said, hesitant, "I'm—I'm flattered that you feel that way about me, but don't you think it's a little, I dunno, sudden? I mean, we don't know each other that well, and there's—" he stopped himself before he mentioned the curse he thought he had on himself—the curse that anyone he loved, or _might love, _would die.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, String!" Caitlin cried out. "Don't you know anything about 'love at first sight?' I mean, I think it started for me the day I came back here and found you workin' on that old Stearman outside of the hangar. Either that, or it started when I saw you back in Bogan's jail cell in Pope County. And, don't give me this 'I'm cursed, and everybody I love will die' malarkey, either! Dom's told me all about this curse you think you've got on yourself, and as far as I'm concerned, it's a bunch of baloney! It's just an excuse you're hidin' behind, to keep from lovin' anybody again!" Suddenly, Caitlin felt extremely nervous as she considered what she'd just said.

"String," she said, hesitant, a moment later, "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

Hawke hesitated a few moments before he answered her. _Yeah, I do know about love at first sight, Cait. Dom tells me that's what happened when Dad met Mom for the first time_, he thought. "It's, okay Cait. I think I understand why you snapped at me. And, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about you, too. Even though I've only known you for a short time, I've come to care about you, a lot. And, I do know a little bit about love at first sight—from what Dom tells me, that's what happened when Dad met Mom for the first time." He smiled thinly as he recalled hearing the story from Dom. "But it's like you said, Cait—I feel like there's a curse on me, and I don't want to add you to that list. I care about you too much to let anything happen to you, like has happened to everybody else in my life."

"Okay, String," Caitlin said, her courage building again, along with her frustration, "Look. I know about Kelly, and your parents. Dom told me the bits and pieces that you left out when you told me the stories a while back. String, why can't you understand that what happened to Kelly, and to your parents, were _accidents, _for cryin' out loud? _Nobody_ could've stopped them, unless they'd stopped the driver of that other car, and the one drivin' the boat that hit your parents out there on the lake! String, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but accidents happen _all the time, _and sometimes, people die in 'em. And it hurts when we lose people we love like that, but we have to get over it and move on. And," she said, sighing, "I know how it feels to lose a parent when you're a kid."

"How do you know, Caitlin?" Hawke snapped.

"Because of my dad, String," Caitlin said. "Daddy died when I was twelve years old. The same age you were when your folks died."

"What?" String demanded, shocked. "Why didn't Dom and I know about that?"

"Simple. Ya never asked," Caitlin said, her voice shaking.

_She's right,_ Hawke thought. _We never did ask._ "How?" he said aloud, resting his hands on Caitlin's shoulders.

"A heart attack, on Christmas Eve," Caitlin said. "We were just finishing up opening gifts, and all of a sudden, Daddy got this real strange look in his eyes, and passed out. My sister Erin tried to give him CPR, and I called for paramedics, but they took too long getting to the house—there'd been an ice storm—_an ice storm, in Texas, of all places—_during the day, and the roads were still like sheets of ice. By-by the time they got to the house, Daddy was gone," Caitlin said, the emotions of the moment finally breaking through as she broke down and began crying. Not knowing what else to do, Hawke pulled Caitlin gently to him, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as she cried herself out.

A few minutes later, Caitlin pulled back, embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Hawke. It's just hard to talk about that night. You know how it is, right?"

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke replied. "I know exactly how it is. But," he said, laying his hands on her shoulders again, "I appreciate that you told me about it."

"Thanks, String," Caitlin replied. "But right now, I wanna talk about my feelings about _you,_" she said, reaching up and pulling Hawke's hands off her shoulders, then taking both of his hands in hers. "Look. I know you think that anyone you might love will die, because of everything that's happened in the past. But, String, you can't keep carryin' the torch for Kelly, or Gabrielle, for the rest of your life. It's gonna eat you up inside, and I don't want that to happen, because of how much I care about you. How much I—I think I love you. Can you understand that?"

"Yeah, I guess I can," Hawke replied. "But even if what happened to Kelly and my parents were accidents, like you say, what about"—he stopped as Caitlin interrupted him again.

"String," Caitlin said a little more forcefully, "I know you might hate me for sayin' this, but I think it needs to be said. _Nobody knows_ what's goin' on with Saint John. He might still be alive, out there somewhere! So as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't count!" Caitlin stopped, horrified, as she realized the full implication of what she had just said. _Geez, why can't I keep my big mouth shut! I'll be lucky if he doesn't tell me he never wants to speak to me again after that,_ she thought.

_How can you just dismiss my brother like that, Caitlin?_ Hawke thought, suddenly angry. A moment later, though, he realized something. _She's right. We **don't **know what's going on with Saint John. How many times has Dom told me exactly the same thing? _

"String," Caitlin said, embarrassed, "I-I'm real sorry for what I said about your brother, and, I don't blame you if you hate me for sayin' it."

"Cait," Hawke said, moving closer to her again, "I, I don't hate you for saying that, because you're right. We don't know where Saint John is. Heck, he could be living somewhere under an assumed name, like he was in a witness protection program, or something like that. Or," Hawke sighed, "he could be dead, like Michael seems to think he is. But until we find out conclusively what happened, maybe, maybe he doesn't count. But, that still leaves Gabrielle. She's-she's dead because of the fact that she loved me," Hawke said.

"Oh, good grief! Stringfellow Hawke, are you _really _that full of yourself?" Caitlin demanded.

"What do you mean by that, Caitlin?" Hawke retorted, feeling his own anger rising.

"What I mean, String," Caitlin replied, her determination obvious in her eyes, "is this. Do you _really, seriously _think that this Moffet guy killed Gabrielle because she was _in love with you?_ Do you even think he _knew_ she was in love with you, for Pete's sake? Look. I may not have dealt with Moffet personally, but I dealt with a few guys _like _Moffet back on the force in Pope County. They're sociopaths at _best, _and at worst, they're downright _psychos!_ And they'll stop at _nothing_ to get what they want. And in Moffet's case, it was Airwolf. I know one thing," Caitlin said, her eyes boring into Hawke's, "even though I'm a black belt in karate, there is _no way in hell_ that _I'd _want to meet up with this Moffet character, unless I knew that you and Dom were in the Lady, with all her weapons deployed in full combat mode, to back me up!" Once Caitlin had explained her statement, Hawke realized that once again, she was right. _That does sound awfully conceited, now that I think about it,_ Hawke thought.

"Well, Cait," Hawke replied, "it's a good thing Moffet's dead, so you don't have to worry about that." _Because I wouldn't have wanted you to have to deal with Moffet either,_ Hawke thought as he remembered how Gabrielle had died in his arms. _But as much as I hate to admit it, she's right, again, _Hawke thought. _Moffet probably didn't __have any idea that__ Gabrielle and I were lovers. And it's like Michael's told me before, what about all the other people Moffet killed, like Angela, everyone who died at Red Star that day, the crew on that Navy destroyer, and all the rest._ He forced himself back into the present when Caitlin started talking again.

"Yeah, but let me tell you somethin' else that you, and Dom, don't know," Caitlin replied. "Just before I moved out here, I was, I was almost raped by one of the guys on the force. Josh Matthews was his name. He'd been flirtin' with me for days, tryin' to convince me not to leave, and then one night at shift change, I was walkin' over to my car, and he grabbed me from behind just before I got there. Fortunately, I managed to slip out of his grasp before he could do anything, and I kicked him in the groin so hard, I'll bet his balls _still _hurt! Like I told that guy on the plane, String, I know karate, and I give _free samples,_" Caitlin said.

"What happened to this guy Matthews?" Hawke demanded.

"Well, he tried to convince the watch commander that he didn't do anything, but there were multiple witnesses, so he wound up getting tossed off the force, and tossed in jail for sexual assault. He's still there, as far as I know," Caitlin replied. "The point is, String, I'm _perfectly _capable of takin' care of myself. And look at everything that's happened to me since I've been here in California, for Pete's sake! The hijacking, the incident with Villers, not to mention what happened with Holly." Hawke nodded as he recalled watching the helicopter Caitlin and Dom's niece, Holly Matthews, were flying in, headed for the Pacific Ocean in a flat spin, before Caitlin had been able to get control back just before they would have hit the water. "And, there's somethin' else you don't know, String," Caitlin finished.

_And something tells me I don't **want **to know,_ Hawke thought. "What's that, Cait?" he asked.

"Back in Texas, I danged near _died_ once after a routine traffic stop," she replied. "I was writing up the ticket—the guy was doin' 100 in a 55—and when I turned my back for a second, he pulled out a gun and shot me right in the back. I managed to radio for help, and got to the hospital, but the doctor told me that I actually _did_ die while they were tryin' to take the bullet out of my back. But, they were able to bring me back. And I didn't even know you _existed _back then, Stringfellow Hawke!" she finished, her voice emphatic.

_I __was right.__ I didn't want to know,_ Hawke thought. _But suddenly, __knowin' all this,__ I'm seein' Caitlin in a whole new light. _"Wow," Hawke replied. "I guess, I guess we don't know everything about you, Cait."

"I know, String," Caitlin replied, "but you didn't ask, and that's not the sorta thing I like to talk about, just like what happened with Daddy, y'know?"

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke replied, feeling the arguments he'd used against loving Caitlin shattering like so many pieces of glass. "I do know. And, I understand."

"Look, String," Caitlin said, "I can't promise you that nothing's ever going to happen to me. I mean, heck, with everything that's already happened to me, even _before _I met you, I'm surprised I'm not dead already. But, I _can _promise you this, Stringfellow Hawke," she continued, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look into her eyes, "I _can _promise you that if you try to love me, and let me love you the way I want to, then I promise you that I'll love you like nobody else can. With every bit of my heart and soul. I think I already love you that way, String. And, I think Kelly and Gabrielle would _want _you to love somebody again. I know I don't know them, but from what you and Dom have told me about them, I don't think either one of them would want you to spend your life alone. And, before you say it—I know. I know that you're scared. Heck, I'm scared too, String. I'm scared of how strong my feelings are for you, and scared of what will happen if you don't feel the same way about me that I do about you. But I believe in you, String. And more important, I believe in _us._ I think we could be really good together, y'know?" Caitlin's eyes met Hawke's, and she was surprised to see the warmth, and love, there in those steel-blue eyes that she'd come to love in the short time she'd known Hawke.

"So what do you say, String? Do you think you might give me—give _**us—**_a chance?" Caitlin's eyes spoke the fear she felt in her heart as she waited for Hawke to answer her. _'Cause like that song says, 'I can't fight this feelin' anymore.' I, I just hope String feels the same way about me, that I do about him._

_She's right, again,_ Hawke thought. He realized that he had loved Caitlin for a long time, too. _That's why I immediately went and got Airwolf when I heard that her plane had gone down in the Gulf, even without orders from Michael,_ Hawke thought, _and why I didn't want her to leave, after the deal with Villers. Because I do love Cait, as a lot more than just a friend, and I don't want to lose her, ever_._ And, she's right about something else—I have been hiding behind that curse, even though Cait, and Dom, are both still here, and I love both of them. More important, though, I'm **in love **with Cait. And I think I have been ever since I met her. I've just been too stubborn, or stupid, to admit it until now. Heck, maybe both stubborn **and **stupid. _He felt the burdens he'd been carrying for so long lifting from his mind and heart, and the love he felt for Caitlin rushing in to take their place as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him again. Finally, he looked into Caitlin's eyes and said simply, "Cait, I-I love you, too. And, I think I'm in love with you. And even though it scares the hell out of me, I-I want to give us a chance," he said, smiling. _And, it's nice to know you're just as scared about this as I am, Cait, _Hawke thought. _Somehow, that makes it not seem so scary._

With her heart lodged in her throat from happiness, Caitlin was unable to speak, so she reached up and wrapped her arms around Hawke's neck, pulling his head down to her and capturing his lips with hers in a searing kiss, one that even rivaled the one they'd shared on the movie studio a few months previous. Caitlin's heart jumped as she breathed in the scent of Hawke's cologne, and felt the fabric of his sweater as her body molded tightly against him. Hawke quickly warmed up to the kiss and found himself deeply inhaling the perfume Caitlin was wearing, as he felt Caitlin's body mold tightly against his. _She fits against me perfectly,_ Hawke thought. _It's like we're made for each other._ Finally, he knew he had to breathe, so he gently, but firmly, eased them apart.

"Well, well," Caitlin said a few moments later, after she'd caught her breath and allowed the significance of what had just happened to sink in, "take a look around, String." _And I hope you get the picture, String,_ she thought. _'Cause I'm still standin' here, even after you told me you love me._

"At what, Cait?" Hawke asked, dumbfounded, as he looked around the cabin. "Nothing's changed. Nothing happened." Suddenly, it dawned on Hawke what Caitlin meant.

"_Now _you're getting it, String," Caitlin said, smiling at him. "_Nothing happened._ Lightning didn't strike me dead, the earth didn't open up and swallow me, I didn't break into a million pieces or drop dead when you put your arms around me, nobody took a shot at me through the window, or stormed the cabin to kidnap me. You told me you love me, and I'm still standin' here in your arms, alive and well." _Not to mention happier than I've been since I came to California,_ Caitlin thought as she relished in the feeling of being in Hawke's arms, the way she'd wanted to ever since that day on the movie set when he'd kissed her at the behest of the director. _And it's so much better knowin' he wants to hold me this way,_ Caitlin thought, excited. _And I know that I'd like nothin' more than to stay in String's arms just like this for the rest of my life. 'Cause I feel so good, so comfortable, when String holds me like this. The way I fit against him—it's like he was meant for me, and I was meant for him. _Caitlin thought about something she'd said a few moments ago. _I can't believe I said, 'I believe in **us.**' I never thought there would ever be an 'us,' but there is, finally._ She thought about something she'd said before—_'I'll love you with every bit of my heart and soul'. And someday,_ she thought, _I'll add my body to that list, I have no doubt. _She recalled the desires that had welled up inside her as she felt her body mold tightly against Hawke. _I want him, so much. And I felt like he wanted me, too. But it's not the right time, yet. But soon, I hope, it will be. _

"I, I get it, Cait," Hawke said as he turned his head towards a sound only he could hear. "Dom," he said, sighing. _I am **really **going to have to talk to him about his timing,_ Hawke thought.

"Aw, nuts," Caitlin said. _Geez, five minutes ago, I was praying Dom would come get me so I could get away from String. But now Dom's almost here, and I'm wishing like heck that he'd go away, 'cause I don't want to leave String. But, maybe it's not the right time, yet,_ Caitlin thought. "I mean—"she stopped as Hawke pulled her to him again.

"I know, Cait," Hawke said, smiling. "I know. I'm going to have to have a talk with him about his timing, especially now," Hawke added, noticing Caitlin's reaction. Then he kissed her again, this one another searingly passionate kiss that left little to the imagination. When they separated, Hawke said, "And, I have to admit, you were right about Moffet. He, he probably didn't know about Gabrielle and me, and what about all the other people he killed before Dom and I stopped him? I guess, I guess I just never thought of it that way," Hawke admitted.

"I think I understand, String," Caitlin replied, "and, it's okay." She glanced up at him, hoping her eyes spoke the truth she felt in her heart. _And I kinda wish you didn't have to let me go, String,_ Caitlin thought, _but I'll be back here in your arms as soon—__and as often—as __I can. That's a promise,_ she determined. _And maybe, someday __soon__, I won't be leavin', unless we__'re both leavin' here together__,_ she thought excitedly.

"I'll walk you out," he said, smiling as he slipped an arm around her waist. _I really wish she didn't have to leave, but it's too soon for that. But someday, hopefully, she'll be here with me always._

"You better," Caitlin sassed back at him, her eyes shining with all the love she felt for him as she slid an arm around his waist and they walked out to meet Dom.

"I was just comin' up to get you, Cait," Dom said a few moments later as he met String and Caitlin. "Hey, what's with the smiles? And, you two walkin' out here with your arms around each other like that? What the heck's goin' on around here?" _I sure hope I know what's goin' on,_ Dom thought, remembering what he'd said after Caitlin's plane got hijacked. _I hope String finally got the message!_

"Dom, isn't it obvious?" Caitlin asked. "I finally worked up the nerve to tell String how I feel about him. How much, I, I love him," Caitlin said, blushing slightly. "And," she said, turning to smile at Hawke, "after a, rather heated discussion, I got String to understand how much I love him, and that it'd be okay if he loved me the same way. And he told me he does love me that way," Caitlin said, her eyes shining.

"That's great, you two!" Dom said happily, engulfing String and Caitlin in a friendly embrace. "Y'know, Cait, I-I don't have to take you back to the hangar just yet. If you want, I could fix dinner, and we could go back later, or I could just come back tomorrow sometime."

"Dom," Caitlin said, it's, it's okay. Besides," she said, glancing up at String and smiling, "I think I'll be coming back here a lot more often." _Besides, we only just told each other how we feel. It's too soon for whatever you might be thinkin', Dom. But maybe, someday soon, we'll be spendin' our nights together here, just like Dom said,_ she thought.

"You better be coming back here more often, Caitlin," Hawke said with a smile, as he pulled her to him for another deep, tender, and passionate kiss.

_Ah, that does my old heart a world of good,_ Dom thought happily as he watched String and Caitlin. _I'm sure glad String finally got the message!_ He'd been telling String for weeks, ever since Caitlin's plane to Texas had been hijacked, about how tough she was, and how she might be the woman to break the curse Hawke thought he had on himself. _I guess he finally gets it,_ Dom thought as String and Cait finally separated.

"Just makin' sure I'm not dreamin'," Caitlin said, smiling up at String. "Oh, and as for me comin' back here, I'll be back as soon, and as often as I can, String. You can _count on it._"

"I'm certainly glad to hear that, Cait. And, I was makin' sure I wasn't dreaming, too," String agreed, smiling back at her. Then he noticed Caitlin begin to slip out of his arms, and he tightened his arms around her in reaction. "Cait? You okay?"

"I'm fine, String," Caitlin said. "It's just that your smile always makes me go weak in the knees," she admitted.

"Well, I may not get weak in the knees, Cait," String said, "but that beautiful smile of yours makes me happier than I've been in a long time. And, don't worry," Hawke said, still smiling, "I'll always be here to catch you when you get weak in the knees like that. 'Cause I think I'm gonna be smiling a _lot _more often, thanks to you, Caitlin."

With tears of happiness and love shining in her hazel eyes, Caitlin said, "I'm sure glad to hear that, String." She gave him another kiss on the cheek as Hawke opened the co-pilot's side door for her and helped her into the helicopter. Dom had quickly run around to the other side of the helicopter, and a short time later, they were headed back into the air towards Van Nuys, Caitlin waving good-bye to String as they turned.

String watched them go, feeling happier, and more alive, than he'd felt in a long time. He glanced down and saw his dog Tet looking inquisitively up at him. "Yeah," Hawke said. "I think she's gonna be here a lot more often, boy." Hawke felt excited by the prospect of having someone in his life again. _And it feels even better, knowing Caitlin is that someone. And I miss her already,_ he thought as he walked back into the cabin. He couldn't keep a vision of the two of them sitting out on the porch watching the sunset out of his head, and he smiled at the image. _Soon, I hope,_ Hawke thought.

"Cait?" Dom said as they approached the airfield. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Caitlin sighed, "I'm just missing String already."

"After what I saw back at the cabin, I'm not surprised!" Dom said, grinning, as he set the helicopter down in front of the hangar. "Listen, Cait, I'm real happy that you and String are getting together, and I don't think I have to tell you about the way he gets sometimes. Just, just promise me you'll take care of him, in case anything ever happens to me. Okay?"

"Dom," Caitlin said as they stepped out of the helicopter, "that's a promise. I'm not goin' anywhere. Well," she said, grinning, "except maybe back to the cabin every so often. Actually, more like goin' back there _every chance I get. _And," she said, shaking her head, "you don't need to remind me about how String gets sometimes. I understand it, I've seen it, and, I'm ready for it. So don't worry, okay? I'll take care of String, 'cause I don't plan on goin' anywhere now, for a long time!" She smiled as she gave Dom a friendly embrace before she climbed into her car to go home.

As he watched Caitlin's car drive away, Dom felt a new optimism in his mind and heart. _Thank goodness String saw the light about Cait, before we lost her for good,_ he thought. He'd seen the way Villers had looked at Caitlin, when she first started dating him, and he'd seen other men look at her the same way. _And I've been worried that if Cait didn't leave on her own, like she said she was gonna do, one of those guys might steal her away from us—from String, actually. But that's not gonna happen now,_ Dom thought as he locked up the hangar to head home. _'Cause I know String, and after what I saw a little while ago, there's no way he'd let another man look at Cait that way, without makin' darned sure that guy didn't understand that String and Caitlin are together. _Dom felt a tear in his eye as he thought of Hawke's father. _Alan, old buddy, I sure hope you and Jane saw what happened a few minutes ago. And I hope you're as happy as I am. But I'm sure none of us are as happy as String and Cait are,_ he thought with a smile as he drove home, suddenly feeling optimistic about the future. _For all of us,_ he thought later that night as he went to sleep, visions of Hawke and Cait kissing on the dock coming to the forefront of his mind.

As Caitlin fell asleep that night, she felt happier than she'd been since she came to California looking for Hawke. _I can't believe it,_ she thought happily, _but String finally told me he loves me! And like I said to him, nothin' bad happened when he said it, either!_ She knew things between them wouldn't always be easy, especially with Hawke's tendency to run back inside himself when things got difficult. _Well, when he does, _Cait determined, _I'll just have to run with him to that place and drag him back to me. But, somethin' tells me that won't be nearly as hard as it sounds,_ she thought with a smile on her face as she fell asleep, seeing Hawke's smiling face in her mind as he told her how he loved her, back at the cabin. _I'll remember today for the rest of my life,_ Caitlin thought happily. She smiled as a vision came into her mind's eye—of her and Hawke standing on the dock in front of a judge, along with her mother, Dom, and her older sister Erin, as Hawke and Caitlin exchanged wedding vows. _Or, heck, maybe we'll just run away together and elope to Vegas. I don't need a big wedding like Erin's. All I need, all I'll ever need, is String. But, it's too soon to think about marriage. Not yet,_ she thought, happily, _but maybe, someday. Soon. _She sighed happily as she felt sleep claiming her.

_I haven't been this happy in a long time,_ Hawke thought as he finished cleaning up the cabin and got ready for bed. _I wonder. Could Caitlin be the woman I'm supposed to be with? I mean, even though we've only known each other for a short time, I can already tell she, she **gets **me, like nobody else ever has, including Kelly, or Gabrielle. And Cait's not afraid to tell me when I'm wrong, like she did earlier today,_ Hawke thought as he recalled the conversation that led up to their revealing their feelings about each other. _Who would have ever thought that I'd wind up with a beautiful, spunky, redheaded, stubborn-as-a-Georgia-mule ex-cop from Texas?_

Hawke smiled as he considered his thought. _Caitlin **is **beautiful, _he thought as he fell asleep, with Caitlin's face in the forefront of his mind, _and she is as stubborn as I am, at least. _He smiled as he pictured the two of them together, downstairs in the living room, arguing about their feelings. _And, she was absolutely right. Nothing bad did happen after I told her how I felt. And I can't deny that I'm scared of feeling this way, but somehow, knowing Caitlin is as scared as I am, it doesn't feel quite so scary, if that makes any sense. _Smiling, Hawke fell asleep picturing Caitlin's face in his mind. _Her gorgeous, beautiful face,_ he thought to himself with a smile and a happy sigh as he fell asleep. _Now, maybe we can start thinking about the future,_ Hawke thought. _Our future, together._ He felt more relaxed than he could remember feeling in a long time as he fell asleep, pondering their future together.

**The End**.


End file.
